Val’s Dream Fund

Hello!

My name is Valerijs Aksjonovs, but my friends call me Val. I live in the Republic of Latvia, and I’m grateful you took the time to read this.

The purpose of this charity is really a simple one – to allow my lifelong dream to come true.

I’m 52 years old, and for most of my life I’ve been living in a city, working at various factories and, during the years before the real estate market crash, I even had a small business. Right now I work in a garment factory, packaging the goods. I’m a worker by nature, and never expected having things being handed to me. However, no matter how hard I worked, I never felt truly happy. I’ve been married and divorced, I always was and still am a good father to my two children, but no matter how hard I tried, I never felt I truly belonged. I was starting to believe that unhappiness was a natural state of a human being, until recently I was invited to do some maintenance work on a farm in a remote rural area of Livani. I’ve spent about a week there and literally fell in love with the place.

I honestly believe words cannot do justice to the magnificent feeling of peace, serenity and unity with the Nature that overwhelmed me and, for the first time in years, made me truly happy. After this profound experience I knew what I wanted, I finally realized what was missing from my life.

So I’ve decided to abandon the city life with all its distractions, with its insane speed and warped rhythm, which never allows us to stop and think, pause and enjoy life, and move to the country.

After taking a look at the farm I was visiting, I’ve realized that under right management and with a small investment it could be completely self-contained system, allowing me to work the land and live off the products of my labor. That indeed would be the perfect life for me.

I’ve contacted the owner, and, as luck would have it, the owner of this place, a 65 year old gentleman was actually planning to quit his agricultural business and sell the farm.

And this is where the most common problem manifested itself – the owner needed the cash, and he needed it upfront. The asking price for the farm is EUR 15000, that is a little over USD 16000, which is a bargain for a 6 acre property containing a house, barns, glasshouse, 2 acres of woods and 3 acres of arable land, as well as inventory such as plows and basic machinery.

The price may seem unbelievably low to those fortunate enough not to live in a third world country, however, by Latvian standards, it is still a considerable sum, way outside the reach of a simple man.

Naturally, I’ve tried to secure a bank loan, but had no success. Despite there being more than two dozen banks in Latvia, none of them even considered my application, because any real estate outside 30 mile radius around Latvia’s capital city is considered not worthy investing in. Moreover, my dream of an organic farm seemed laughable to them.

People are rarely given a second chance, but despite finding my true calling later in life, I believe I can still make it work and truly live out my dream.

The land is beautiful, fertile and will support me, my family, my wife and children. I’ve attached some photos of the farm, so you could appreciate its beauty.

So there lies my dilemma – I can either accept my defeat and walk away from something that would fulfill my true calling and make my world whole, or I can ask the good-hearted people for help.

The goal is to raise EUR 15000. Anything you can spare will help me tremendously, and will benefit us all, because if there’s one thing the world needs, it’s more happiness.

Have you ever been one small step away from something that could make you truly happy, and still you were being stopped by something so positively insignificant it would literally hurt? It is so close, so easy, so doable, and still a million miles away… If you know what I mean, you will understand my plight.

Thank you, and God bless you!

Val.